J. Cornelius

Article written for the 2004 Shareware Industry Conference discussing the pros and cons of using outside technical support for your company.

More than Meets the Eye

When considering outsourced technical support for your company or organization there are generally two perspectives that need to be examined. That of your company and more importantly, that of the customer you service.

The three most important assets of any company are the product or service being sold, the employees doing the work, and the customer or end user (not always in that order). When considering outsourcing the company must think of how each will be affected.

From the company's perspective the apparent advantages of outsourcing can be very enticing. Since tech support, in most cases, is a non revenue generating department of a company, outsourcing can be seen as a quick way to add to the bottom line. Unfortunately, when that is the sole reason for outsourcing tech support, two of the three most important assets are forgotten; the employees and customers.

Tech support plays a vital role in the way customers perceive a company because it is often the only point of contact they have. The voice over the phone or the response to an e-mail can be the only real "face" a company has to its customers. A company may also lose the feel or "pulse" of their customers if there is no other contact outside the tech support department.

If you already have in-house support staff you must consider any added benefits or abilities these people bring to your organization. Do they do more than just support? Are there other ways in which they contribute to your company? For most small organizations the answer is a resounding yes. If you outsourced your support, what would the impact be on these people? How would losing them impact your operation?

Having people across the hall has many unseen benefits. Should you choose to outsource, you must consider the often overlooked pitfalls of not having people you personally know between you and your customers. This is where trust enters the equation.

Do you trust your neighbor with your house?

The two largest drawbacks to outsourcing tech support are less efficient communication and lack of direct control and oversight. The company must trust that the support provided by a 3rd party will represent the company in the same manner or better than internal staff. The "face" must always be helpful, patient, and friendly. They must appear to be part of your company, even if they are thousands of miles away.

In any relationship good communication is the key to success or failure. Lack of communication will cause the relationship to sour and fail. It is crucial for both parties to keep the other informed of any situations as they arise. This includes many things like new software releases, special marketing efforts, or an increase in support requests on a specific topic or product.

Lack of control and oversight is another valid argument against outsourcing. By not having the tech support in house the company is at risk of damage to their brand and reputation. Check and safeguards must be in place to help the company track the performance and effectiveness of outsourced support. Performing spot-checks and "mystery customer" tests are a good way to do this. Regular face-to-face and phone meetings can also help ensure things are running smoothly and as planned.

The Other Side of the Coin

Outsourcing also has advantages as it allows a company to focus on other issues or products that would normally be put off due to lack of time or resources. Outsourced tech support can focus on providing better, more efficient, support to the customer without being concerned with product development, or other operational issues. Another benefit to outsourcing is the possibility of having extended tech support hours or availability by using more than one provider in different geographical areas. This can also allow for localized support in different languages.

The decision to outsource your support is not easy. There are many factors that must be considered. Do not underestimate the importance of quality support and its effect on your company. The repercussions of a bad support decision can last for a long time.